LINCOLN, NE(NET Radio) -
The Libertarian Party has gathered enough signatures to put its presidential candidate on Nebraska's November ballot, marking a comeback of sorts. The party began gathering the necessary 6,000 signatures after the last election cycle, but ran out of steam. Mike Compton is the vice chairman of the Mike Compton of the Nebraska Libertarian Party. He says the party fell apart three or four years ago due to lack of interest and issues. But, Compton says, Ron Paul's presidential candidacy sparked interest in Libertarians even though Paul ran as a Republican. The party obtained 10,000 signatures in the state. And, Compton says most Nebraskans would consider themselves Libertarian if they thought about it. "Nebraskans value independence and freedom," he says, "a lot more than other parts of the country especially. We've always been that kind of hardworking, pull yourself up by your bootstraps." Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr is a former Georgia Congressman who left the GOP in 2006 over what he called bloated spending and civil liberties intrusions by the Bush Administration. Compton says there may also be a Nebraska Libertarian candidate for Lee Terry's 2nd District Congressional seat, as well as some county boards. The Party hasn't cracked 1 percent of the national popular vote in a presidential race. But it bills itself as the third-largest party and is on the ballot in at least 30 states. The Libertarian Party's platform includes a smaller, decentralized government as well as a strong stand on personal freedoms, such as privacy, property, and civil liberties.